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“But I want her to still be able to use the story,” I say, defending Gemma and the work she’s done. “Is there a way for us to…I don’t know.”
Suddenly I’m overcome with guilt, not knowing how to handle any of this. I want Nick home and I want this all over, but I also want Gemma to get her big break. I want the coach and the doctor exposed for what they’ve done. Nick could have been seriously injured like Lucas, and there are others who have been. It’s not just about Nick now.
“Here’s what I propose,” Gerry starts, folding his hands in front of him, a stoic look on his face. “We need to speak to Ms. Williams and find out what she knows. We can then offer to have Nick give an interview but use that as leverage.”
“What do you mean?” Nick asks, a confused look on his face, and I have to say, I’m not sure where this is heading either.
“I’d like to present the idea of the article to Nick’s coach and the team doctor, letting them know we have significant information that could damage their career and reputation.”
“Like blackmail?” I gasp, the words coming out of my mouth before I can stop them. This does not feel like the route we want to go.
Gerry laughs, looking at me with a huge smile on his face. “Listen, Elissa, while I like to think I’m a better lawyer than that, you could say it’s blackmail, but I like to call it negotiation.
“I like Gerry’s term better,” Nick teases, his hand resting on my thigh, he gives it a squeeze. “Let’s call Gemma back and see what she found out and we can go from there.”
“Okay.”
27
NICK
The journalist picks up on the first ring, clearly waiting for us to call her back. After Lis does a round of introductions again, Gemma takes a deep breath before filling us in on everything she has learned.
“So, here’s what I’ve found out so far. In addition to Lucas Montgomery, I now know of at least ten other athletes who have been injured during training or a competition over the last five years. All of these athletes have likely received improper treatment or been silenced.”
Lis glances at me, her eyes wide and I can only shake my head in disbelief. I’ve been on the team for three years and besides the two missing teammates; Lucas and I are the only others I know about.
Which means there are at least six more that this has happened to.
Fuck. This is already way bigger than I thought it could be.
“The coach, Nathan Miles and the team doctor, Graham Watts, have been working together for the better part of ten years though, so I’m thinking there are many more. I plan to dig a little deeper into that over the next week or so. You should also know that Dr. Watts joined the team with a pending investigation regarding his care of a college student in Canada too, but that seems to have been silenced somewhere along the way.”
“Jesus,” I murmur, blowing out a breath.
“I’ve reached out to Lucas, the most recently injured athlete, in the hopes of getting a comment, but he’s not responding to my calls or emails. My guess is there are NDAs at play and everyone’s afraid to talk. I am planning to fly out to Park City though, try and get an interview with the coach or team doctor, although I doubt either of them are going to speak to me. But I will also ask around, see if I can’t find someone who’s willing to talk while I’m out there. Even if it’s off the record, it would still be good, although an actual interview would seal the deal on these two.”
The line goes quiet and when I look over at Gerry, he’s smiling, his legal pad now filled with notes. “Well Ms. Williams, we might be able to help you out with that side of things.”
“Really, how so?”
Gerry chuckles. “Because I happen to have someone who will speak to you, on the record, about all of the things that have happened to him.”
“He doesn’t have an NDA?” she asks and I have to give this woman credit for actually giving a shit about that.
“He does,” Gerry replies, glancing over at Lis and me. “But with recent developments, which I believe have voided his contract with the team, I’m not sure the NDA would hold up in court.”
“Not sure doesn’t sound too convincing,” Gemma says, taking the words right out of my mouth.
“Very true, Ms. Williams, but in this case, I think we’re good. The actions of these two individuals toward a member of the team haven’t just violated his team contract, but also his contract with one of his major sponsors, both of which are grounds for termination of said contracts and an avenue for compensation at the very least. Add in all the information you’ve found, and I think we have a shot at taking these two down and ending their careers.”
“And let me guess, that’s where you need me?” Gemma asks.
Gerry lets out another laugh. “Well, I’d like to think of this as being a mutually beneficial arrangement, but yes, that would be your end of the deal. We give you an athlete who was injured during training whilst on the team and then forced to return before he should have, resulting in more damage and a need for additional surgery. He agrees to give you a no-holds barred interview, which you are welcome to use in your story, if we can control the narrative of when it comes out. We’d like to use it as leverage in our case against the coach and team doctor.”
The line goes silent again and when I turn to Lis, she’s staring at it, her eyes wide and unblinking as she twists her fingers together in her lap. I know she’s worried about this, about Gemma losing her story, about me getting out of my contract, about the debt I’m currently facing, but hearing Gerry spell it all out, hearing what Gemma has found out, I just feel strangely relieved.
“I still get exclusive rights to the story?” Gemma eventually asks. “You aren’t going to stop me from running it.”
